Improvement in furnaces for ttie combustion of fuel



Ulvrrnn STATES Pn'rEnrrrV Enron., y

ROBERTL. WALKER, oF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS'.

IMPRovEMENT IN FuRNA-cEs Fo'R-r Tm: czownausrl'oNv o-F FUEL.

specification' forming part' 'of Letters Patent No.1 '80.178, dated Ju1y,25,1 1816; applicati@ ined March 16-l 1876.

To all whom 'it may concern: Beit known that I, ROBERT L. WALKER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk andState of Massachusetts, have invented v'certain Improvements in Combustion of Fuel, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, mlaking a part hereof. Y

The main feature of my invention consists in the use of twoseparate and distinct fireboxes, in combiation with dues and 'dam pers, so'arranged that/the products of 'combustion from either fire-box may becompelled to pass through\the other hre-box in a reverse direction, all as hereinafter more particularly de scribed; and the main object of my invention is to more thoroughly' consume, when soft or bituminous coal is used.

It is well known that when such coal is used l much of the fueljis dissipated and/ wasted in the form of smoke and soot, and also ofgases t for fuel, but which are not consumed; but I have discovered that if these products of imperfect combustion be caused topass through a firebox containing a mass of glowing fuel,

they will be perfectly consumed, a proper supply of air being, of course, provided.

The best mode known tome for carrying my invention into practice is that illustrated by the drawings, where- A represents the boiler usually used-namely, a cylindrical boiler, with two or more tubes extending through it. B B' are two fire-boxes,

. one at each end of the boiler A. C and U' are the mouths of two flues, which lead to the chimney. l

When the'fiue C' is closed, thevproduct-s of combustion from the lire-box B pass over the bridge-wall D, (as usual in the common lirebox of a steam-generator,) through the chamber F, which contains a pipe, G, for the supply of air, and thence over the bridge-wall D',

distinguishing characteristic, being, so .-faras 1 know, new with me.' After ytlulshpassing through the mouth H',= these cpmmingledproducts of combustion .passthroughthe tubes of the boiler A,and thence through the iue G to the chimney. When the ue C' is opened, and

the flue C is closed, the products of combustion from the fire-box B' pass overfthe-bridgewall D', in the usual way, through the chamber F, over the high wall D inthe reverse vdirection, and mingle with the products of conibustion of the fuel in the fire-box B, and these comniingled products of combustion 'pass through the mouth H of the lire-box B-that lire working backward in' this case-into and through the tubes of the boiler A, and out through the flue C'.

It will be obvious from the vabove description that if a bright tire be burning Yin one of the hre-boxes-say B'and fresh coal be'added.

,to-the re in thel lire-box B, the unconsurned, products' of combustion, which are given'oifv largely bythe fresh fuelv in tire-box B, will be thoroughly consumed in their passage over B' and these dampers should all be so con-A nected together that moving one set will simultaneously move the other set. Two ways for effecting this are shown -in the drawings, one consisting i-n connecting the two shafts b b' by levers and rods, and the other consisting in connecting the two dampers d d' by a chain on pulleys, the dampers being heavy enough tovfall when the chain is slacked.'

The fire-boxes may be fed from the front or from the side. B is shown as fed from the. front, and B" from th side.

The side walls of the lire boxes may be made of, or provided with, auxiliary heaters, prop- 'erly connected to the boiler; but this forms no part of my present invention. But I have contrived the hollow cast-iron heaters K K',

suitably connected to the boiler, and so placed as to form `the mouths HH-nd give a firm support for the dampers d d. The heat in the mouths H H', when the `draft is from the rc through the mouth, will be so intensegas to require u frequent renewul of' the brick, it firebrick be used to form this mouth; and tirebrick suhjectedto such intense heat will not answer well as :1 support for the dumpers d d.

The feedwater pipe 'M should connect by the pipes N N with the heater K `K. The

pipe Gr should be perforated, audits outer end controlled by ndamper, G', to regulate the supply of air to the chamber F@ The dampers aaund d d' should be made. of lire-brick,

ed to resist intense heat."

What I claim as my1invention isfproperly supported, or be otherwise constrllct- 4The combination of the furnaces and the dempers auf d d with the boiler, constructed andoperating` together to produce n. current or draft through the furnace and the ues of l the boiler, first in one direction7 und then in the'opposite direction; all substantially as described.

' ROBERfl` L; WALKER. Witnesses:

J. E. MAYNADIER, J. E. KNOX. t 

